The Tribune

Ann Marie Davis, Office of the Spouse says all government and non-government institutions responsible for the care, protection and empowerment of children must be revamped to ensure every aspect is approached through the lens of ending gender-based violence. 

Lamenting the recent sexual assault and murder of 12 year-old Adriel Moxey, Mrs Davis said all professionals who deal with children must understand what gender based violence is in order to more effectively protect and empower children. 

School administrators and teachers, healthcare workers, police officers, and social service workers - all public servants - are only a part of the puzzle. NGOs are critical to assisting in ensuring that children of The Bahamas are able to grow up in healthy, safe environments where they can thrive, she said. 

In this light, Mrs. Davis applauded the Zonta Club of New Providence (ZCNP) now in its 14th year of community-based advocacy to end gender based violence. ZCNP is in the midst of the 16 Days of Activism to End Gender Based Violence, an international effort also known as the Orange the World campaign. 

Zontians laid out an orange carpet and lined it with pairs of shoes for residents in need to take freely - each pair representing the life of a woman or girl lost to violence. 

The 16 Days Campaign kicked off on November 25, the International Day to End Violence Against Women and Girls, and ends on December 10, International Human Rights Day. 

Mrs. Davis pointed out that the nation should note that victims of gender based violence are not relegated to those in specific income brackets. She said there are women who are leaders in various disciplines of society who are silently suffering, some from physical abuse, but also financial, emotional, and verbal abuse, among others.